The present invention relates to outdoor seating and the like, and in particular to a hollow molded, shock absorbing seat for use in recreational boats, and other similar applications.
Recreational boating has prompted the need for many configurations and styles of boat seating. One style that has developed is pedestal-style seating in which the seat is supported on a pedestal above a boat surface such as the boat deck. During operation of the boat, the seated user absorbs the shock transmitted from the boat surface, through the pedestal and into the seat. These shock forces are intensified when the associated boat is operated in rough or turbulent waters when the hull of the boat strikes large swells and wakes.
Heretofore, boat seats have offered little in the way of suspension systems for adding comfort to the user. Typically, boat seats consist of a frame structure that is overlayed or covered with a foam padding which is then encased within a cover. The shock absorption of these seats is directly related to the amount of foam between the user and the seat frame, which has structural limitations.
A boat seating system is needed which provides sufficient shock absorption for a seated user and is economical to manufacture.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing outdoor seat for recreational boats and the like, that includes a cushion member shaped to abuttingly support a seated user on an upper surface thereof, and a one-piece hollow molded seat body member having a front portion with a connector, a raised rear portion, and a recessed base portion shaped to position the cushion member thereover. The seat also includes a shock-absorbing member positioned over a central area of the recessed base portion. The shock-absorbing member includes a deck supporting the cushion on an upper side thereof, a front attachment portion mounted to said connector of said front portion of said seat body member, and a rear attachment portion. The shock-absorbing member also includes a plurality of longitudinally extensible spring members having forward and rearward ends, a plurality of spring bosses molded integrally in the raised portion of the seat body to define apertures extending in a fore-to-aft direction which receive therethrough the rearward ends of the spring members, and a connector rod extending along a back area of the raised portion of the seat body. The connector rod is connected with the rearward ends of the spring members to support the deck in a pre-tensed condition over the recessed base portion of the seat member for absorbing shock loading applied to the seat by the seated user.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing seat for vehicles and the like, that includes a cushion member shaped to abuttingly support a seated user on an upper surface thereof, and a seat body member having an open top, and a closed recessed base portion shaped to position the cushion member thereover. The seat further includes a shock-absorbing member positioned over the recessed base portion of the seat body member, and which includes a flexibly resilient deck supporting the cushion on an upper surface thereof, and a flexible cover enclosing the open top portion of the body member. The flexible cover is substantially air impermeable and defines with the closed base portion an interior air chamber which is substantially air tight, and which is selectively pressurized and depressurized by flexure of the cover in response to movement of the deck and the cushion. The shock-absorbing member further includes at least one port extending through the base portion and communicating with the interior air chamber with ambient air, and an air regulator covering the port and controlling the flow of air through the port to provide shock absorption for the seat.
The principle objects of the present invention are to provide a shock absorbing seat for use in recreational boats, and other similar applications, that provides improved shock absorption for a seated user, and which is economical to construct and manufacture. A further object of the present invention is to provide an air-regulated suspension seat that can be easily operated and adjusted. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a suspension seat that is durable and capable of a long operating life, as well as being substantially water resistant.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.